Checked Farewell
by Ashes On The Sand
Summary: Charlie is gone but, definitely not forgotten. As Claire mourns the death of Charlie, a mysterious item floats ashore and reminds Claire she will never be alone.


The sky was a orange red tone, a bright ball of fire warming the dark night sky. Through the extreme silence nothing but the smashing of waves against the beach could be heard. Suddenly the silence was broken, by the cry of a child. Claire woke up and lifted her young child out of his make-shift crib. She rocked him gently. The other survivors of flight eight fifteen were used to the cries and knew that soon enough the child would calm down. It had been a few days since things got back to normalcy. Claire still morned Charlie's death. Claire adjusted her grip on baby Aaron and walked out of the lean to she once shared with Charlie. Claire strolled down the beach with the child. It was still crying a little bit.

Awoken by the child's cries, Kate sat up. This was fairly normal. Aaron woke up and cried at least once a night. Listening carefully, Kate heard claire sobbing.

"Shhh shhh honey please be quiet...Mommy can't do this right now...please...please" Claire sobbed softly.

Kate heard Claire's every word. Carefully Kate reached down and check if any bugs or animals had slipped into her shoes. Once she was sure that the shoes contained nothing, she slipped them on. Hurriedly, she popped up to her feat. As fast as Kate could managed she rushed out to Claire.

Claire snapped around hearing footsteps behind her. At first she was terrified someone was coming for her but, once she saw it was only Kate she relaxed. "Oh Kate...It's just you." Claire let out a small sigh of relief. Forcing a fake smile she wiped away her tears.

"...Claire...Are you okay?" Kate was preparing herself mentally to take the roll as caring friend for Claire. The loss had hit them all her, Claire the most. Taking on her new role she gently stretched an arm around Claire.

"..Yeah I'm fine..." Claire sighed again. She was still forcing her fake smile. Suddenly she saw something had just washed ashore. "Um...Kate...am I going insane...or did something just wash ashore over there?" Claire had been through so much recently either seemed possible.

"No...I saw it to..."Kate said softly. Her eyes were focussed on the strange object. Slowly, Kate made her way to the mystery object. As she neared it, he felt her thought leap up inside her body. Kate hoped desperately that Claire hadn't seen it.

"...oh my god..."Claire said softly. The whole walk over, Claire had been mere steps behind Kate the entire walk over. "...that's his...I'm sure of it" Claire could feel the sting of tears on her cheeks.

Kate knew that this wasn't going anywhere good. She wasn't certain how claire would react. "Um...Claire...maybe I should take Aaron." Kate's voice was sincere and caring.

Claire didn't say a word. This was bad. Almost as bad as when she found out in the first place. The one object that had caused all of this up roar was a sneaker. Not just any sneaker, it was Charlie's sneaker. It was almost like his trademark. Just by seeing the black and white checkers brought back so many memories and so many regrets. Slowly and carefully Claire handed off the baby to Kate, then broke down to her knees. She was getting wet as the waves crashed over her back. Claire was kneeling down by the shoe, just staring at it float in and out.

"...Claire honey...I'll be right back...Okay?" Kate wasn't a very motherly person and she wasn't the best at emotions either. This situation definitely called for Kate to push herself the extra bit. Kate had never been good with emotions, her own and others. The reason for Kate's emotional short comings were mainly due to her severe insecurities. After years and years of being ignored and broken down Kate began to build up walls. Slowly those walls were crumbling down.

Claire didn't say a word. She just sat there, staring, crying, wondering, and praying.

Kate walked as quickly as she could. Babies, were also another thing she was not exactly good with but, Aaron was a little bit of an exception. Kate was still nervous every time she was left responsible for the baby but, after all she was the one who delivered it. The child was now asleep and Kate did her best to keep it that way. Slowly but, surely she made her way to the only safe haven on the beach, Jin and Sun's lean to. Carefully Kate adjusted the baby so she could pull away the makeshift, tarp, door. Sun and Jin sprang awake. "Hi...um...sorry to wake you...but...Claire's a little upset...would you mind taking the baby?" Kate asked nervously.

"Sure...Is she okay?" Sun asked sitting up and extending her arms for the child.

"..She will be..." Kate said softly, she didn't want to get into detail. After that she proceeded to hand the baby carefully over to Sun.

Jin said something in Korean and Sun answered him. He smiled as Sun rocked the child lightly.

Kate quickly flashed a smile and left. Sun would probably be better emotionally fit to comfort Claire but, there were to many differences between them. Sun was happily married to the man she loved, Claire had just lost the man she loved. Sun wouldn't be able to understand Claire's pain. Kate could. Kate had experienced heart break, Kate had been witness to the death of the man she loved, Kate understood Claire's pain. Kate tried to keep herself composed as she sprinted back to Claire.

Claire was in the same position as before. Her eyes were bright red an obvious sign of her uncontrollable tears. Slowly, she lifted her head from the shoe and looked up sadly at Kate.

Kate knelt down in the water next to Claire. Biting her lip a little, Kate pulled Claire into a gentle hug. "Shhh...It's going to be okay" She reassured her, rubbing her back.

Claire sobbed into Kate's shoulder. Clutching the shoe tightly in her hands her fingers dipped into the shoe. There was something strange, another object lye dormant within the shoe. Claire felt around a little more before pulling it out. Her tears became more prevalent. "...His...His lucky guitar pick..." Claire's voice was trembling, just as she was. Slowly she rose her arm to show Kate the pick. "He always kept it in his shoe...He said it was good luck...and...and that...I was the only person...I was the only person...he ever told..."

Kate bit her lip, doing her best to suppress her own emotions. "It's going to be okay. We'll get through this."

Claire wrapped her arms around Kate. "...Kate...Why's it hurt so bad?" Claire sobbed.

Kate rocked her back and forth a little bit. She was running purely on instinct. Never before had Kate handled a situation like this. "...I don't know...I don't know."


End file.
